Column by Journalism Explorer Jared Schmehl

Post Advertisement

Kendrick Lamar is one of the most influential music artists of our generation. He had a rough childhood, growing up in the streets of Compton, Calif. He knows what it was like to grow up in rough situations. That influences many of his songs. Even though his music is explicit, it has great meaning and value behind them. He raps about the everyday problems we are facing and even what his life was like growing up. His album “To Pimp a Butterfly” focused more on political problems. He wanted his newest album to be a bit different. His newest album, which came out on April 14, 2017, focused on God and the female worth. Lamar continued taking aim at some of the other top rappers in this album.

Lamar’s new album sent shockwaves throughout the Hip-Hop community. On March 23, 2017, he released a song titled “The Heart Part 4.” The last verse on the song said that y’all got until April the 7th to get your stuff together. Everybody thought that meant his album was dropping on April 7. When April 7 came around, his album didn’t come out like everyone expected. Instead, the release date for the album came out. The album was supposed to drop on April 14. That statement held true. On April 14, his newest album dropped. The whole Hip-Hop community was buzzing. The album has 14 songs on it, with one of the songs being his latest single, “Humble.”

In “Humble,” he tells people to sit down and be humble. Many suspect that this verse may have been a shot at the Toronto born rapper, Drake. People believe this because Lamar and Drake have been feuding a little bit. Most of it has been through subliminal verses in their songs. Neither one has straight up said the other’s name, but fans like to speculate who they’re talking about. This will probably fuel the fire in this rivalry. There are also a few verses during this album that could be aimed at another rapper named Big Sean. These two have also been feuding for a while. Lamar is not afraid to state his opinions on other rappers.

This album also has some great meanings behind it. Also in the song “Humble,” Lamar says, “Show me something natural like a girl with some stretch marks.” This means that he’d rather have a woman who is all-natural, over a woman who has gone through surgeries to enhance her body. This verse made a lot of women happy and more comfortable with their bodies. In another song titled “God,” he says “This is what God feels like.” This song is all about what it is like to have God in your life. He talks about the great qualities of God.

Lamar isn’t your typical rapper, he preaches in his music. This is why many people love him. He tells stories in his verses. I believe Kendrick Lamar is a poetic genius.